As a relative newcomer to the writing world, I thought it was better to have an agent first? I’m confused by this whole thing, like where they say they wouldn’t mind if, after acceptance, you went looking for an agent. Doesn’t the agent finding process take months, at best? Would this be a smart move for a first time author?

Normally, an agent is the person who gets your book in front of an editor. Angry Robot has these open door periods specifically to try and find authors who have good books, but who are having a hard time finding an agent, or simply haven't found one yet. Wesley Chu is probably the most notable success story from these open door periods. They published his book "The Lives of Tao" in 2013 as his first ever publication, and he went on to win the Campbell award for it. Once they offered him a deal, he was able to find an agent to represent him and hammer out the details of that contract, and who has gone on to represent his later books.

To answer your last question, this would absolutely be a smart move for a first time author. In fact, first time authors (of novels, anyway) make up the vast majority of the people submitting, if not all.

RSchibler wrote:As a relative newcomer to the writing world, I thought it was better to have an agent first? I’m confused by this whole thing, like where they say they wouldn’t mind if, after acceptance, you went looking for an agent. Doesn’t the agent finding process take months, at best? Would this be a smart move for a first time author?

You'll find that agenting becomes suddenly much quicker once you query with "I already have an offer from Angry Robot and am seeking an agent to assist with contract negotiations...". You've already done half their job for them, but they're still going to get their full 15% (and they are worth that 15%--they will earn you more than they cost you, with foreign rights sales if not just a better advance).